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The Accessible Icon, A More Active Version of the Wheelchair Symbol

The Accessible Icon Project seeks to replace the International Symbol of Access, the ubiquitous symbol of a person in a wheelchair, with a modernized, more active depiction of a wheelchair user. According to project organizers, designer Susanne Koefoed’s original 1968 design focuses too much on the wheelchair and depicts the user in a passive, stiffly upright pose. The new Accessible Icon, designed by Sara Hendren, implies forward movement by showing the wheelchair user leaning forward in an active pose. Stickers, T-shirts, stencils, and a free PDF of the icon are all available at the project’s online store.